Web Based Screening for Depression in the Workplace
Hiromi Isoda *
Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Kenichi Asano
Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Japan
Kumiko Muramatsu
Graduate School of Niigata, Seiryo University, Japan
Eiji Shimizu
Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan and Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Japan
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: The aim of this study was to examine an effective screening method of depressive disorders in the workplace.
Methodology: Employees with a managerial career track of a large size company completed a web-based psychological assessment using the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) at the first screening. After three months, employees who had a PHQ-9 score of 10 or greater were further re-assessed using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 at the second screening. They were then interviewed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) to determine a clinical diagnosis of depressive disorders. Moreover, analysis of the validity of the PHQ-9 categorical algorithm and the cut-off score of PHQ-9 ≥ 10 were conducted.
Results: Of the 402 participants, 350 employees completed the depression and anxiety scales. Though 20 subjects had a score of10 points or more on the PHQ-9 score at the first screening, and nine of them maintained a score of 10 points or more at the second screening. While nine subjects were diagnosed with a major depressive syndrome by the PHQ-9 categorical algorithm at the first screening, only three of them remained with a major depressive syndrome at the second screening.
Conclusion: Considering the spontaneous remission rate of depression, it seems reasonable to conduct double web-based screening for major depressive disorders in the workplace.
Keywords: Depression, PHQ-9, screening, workplace